TORONTO – The provincial government tabled a motion at Queen’s Park certifying the handover between David Williams (in the pic) and Kieran Moore as Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. The changeover, as confirmed by Health Minister Christine Elliott, will take effect on 26 June. On the surface, the one between Williams and Moorer might seem like a normal replacement, dictated by the fact that the now-former Chief Medical Officer is ready to retire, at a stage in which there is a substantial flattening of the epidemiological curve, with the collapse of daily cases and the easing of pressure on hospitals by Covid patients. Still, there are elements that don’t come back and that suggest that the relationship between the premier and Williams has been damaged in recent weeks.
First, the timing of Ford’s rotation remains questionable. The Chief Medical Officer of Health was due to retire as early as November 2020, and the premier had decided to extend Williams’ term of office. So why suddenly cut off the relationship right now that the covid-related situation is improving?
Legitimate question, how legitimate is the doubt related to the fact that, despite the grip of Covid is loosening, in Ontario as in the rest of the world we are in the middle of the pandemic: why therefore get to the passing of the baton when the battle has not yet been won? Williams, on the other hand, is a key role. The Chief Medical Officer of Health, in these 16 months that have shocked our lives, has been the main architect of contagion limitation policies, lockdowns, restrictions, anti-Covid measures. And apart from a few minor traffic accidents, the numbers show how Williams did a great job.
Although the situation is improving with the passing of the days, there are still too many unknowns related to the future development of the pandemic. The risk related to variants, the incidence and effectiveness of vaccines, the doubts related to the reopening of schools, the possibility that a potential relaxation of collective cautions and prudence opens the door to a potential devastating fourth wave.
That said, wouldn’t it have been better to continue with Williams? No one doubts his replacement’s skills, but Williams’ accumulated experience leading the anti-Covid science control room could prove valuable in the coming months.
One wonders what really happened in the last few days, what broke down in the relationship between the premier and his scientific right-hand man.
Doubts and speculation are also fuelled by some of Ford’s own moves. Let us think about the debate on the immediate reopening of schools. Williams had strongly supported the return of students to class last week, while the premier preferred to go down the road of prudence.
But not only that: Ford has also sent an open letter to scientists, virologists, doctors and experts asking for their opinion on the controversial affair.
During the sixteen months of the pandemic, the premier had never done such a thing: he had always blindly trusted his Chief Medical Officer of Health. That letter knows so much about a statement of distrust of Williams. A few days after that letter – but maybe who knows, it’s just a coincidence – comes the replacement of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
